Vagina (What do we call it?)

[Anonymous]

I am really curious and would like to gather everyones term for it. My daughter who is 3 almost 4 what do I tell her to call it? Pee-pee is annoying to me and names like "private parts" seem so generic. Very open to ideas, I'd like her to have pride and not feel "wrong" about it, but also have some innocence left. Thanks ladies!

[Anonymous]

Vagina. My son says penis and if I had a girl, she'd say vagina. Why the cutesy names?

[Anonymous]

I teach both formal and informal names.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vagina. My son says penis and if I had a girl, she'd say vagina. Why the cutesy names?

Why not? I was the PP who said I teach both. I don't hear many kids referring to their abdomens, but rather their tummies or bellies. And I don't hear many kids referring to buttocks, but rather rear end or bum or butt.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, 16:58. This is exactly why I'm asking. She knows it's a vagina but she goes pee-pee so that's what she's begun calling it.

[Anonymous]

The vagina is not actually the anatomically correct term for the entire female genitalia.

If you want to speak about the entire area, I think there is nothing wrong with calling it private parts. At this age being generic is probably not such a bad thing. Calling the entire area one name will help you to teach your daughter that this area is a private place for her only. We tell both of our children that it is inappropriate for people to touch them in any place that is covered by a bathing suit. These are important conversations to have with our children starting as early as possible. Sad, but true. Especially as they enter preschool and elementary school and spend less time in our presence and more time with others.

ITA OP, it is so tough to have these conversations and still have our children keep their innocence, but it can be done. I do not discourage masturbation, just tell them that their private parts are for private and for THEM only.

Here's a good diagram of female anatomy:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/sexual-health/101/basics-of-the-female-sexual-anatomy.aspx

I imagine we will be pulling this one out in the coming years.

[Anonymous]

17:02 are you 16:55?

Why be so technical? I don't mean to sound aggressive, but the OP is just asking for another name to call it.

I'm not suggesting she have her DD call it a va-jay-jay nor would I recommend my DS refer to his scrotum as balls, but they're 3 years old.

Like PP noted, we don't call our tummies our abdomen. If we're so serious with them at 3, good gawd they're going to be cuckcoo before 13. And freaks by 30.

[Anonymous]

My 3.5 yo still uses "pee-pee" I tried to get her to use vagina (yes, I know its not technically correct), but she never took to it - she said "gina" a few times but stopped after I kept saying "what" with a confused look on my face.

[Anonymous]

WHAAAAAAAAAT????????????

VAGINA is the "birth canal".

the private part consisted by the clitoris and the labia, the "outside" is VULVA.

I cannot believe you parents teaching your children wrong names...

oh well...

[Anonymous]

I'm 16:55 and I'm not 17:02. I just don't see the need to make up a name. I don't think it's being "serious" or taking away "innocence." It's just being factual.

[Anonymous]

17:02 here (not 16:55) and I am not advocating for being technical, as I said we call them our "private parts." I do not teach DD that the place she pees from is the urethra, she is 4.5. But when we teach our daughters that the vagina is where they pee from we are doing them a disservice. When I tried to get pregnant there was a lot about my anatomy that I did know and I was shocked and appalled at myself as an educated woman. I am only suggesting that we teach EACH OTHER the real terms. And I would venture to guess that there are a ton of well-educated people on these boards who didn't know that the term vagina refers to the female internal sex organ, not the entire "private area."

[Anonymous]

We taught our dd "vulva" (which is the only name that is inclusive of the vagina, labia majora and minora, and clitoris/urethra). When she asks about the different parts, we'll tell her the names for them then.

We also use "bottom" - she hasn't discovered the hole itself yet or asked about it anyway. When she does, we'll teach her anus.

We have also told her that her vulva area are her "girl parts" - because she saw a naked boy and noticed his penis, which we told her was his penis and his "boy parts."

[Anonymous]

My parents called mine a "tukie" which is what I use with my kids. No clue why they chose that name ... guess I'll have to ask!

[Anonymous]

we call it a vajay jay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We taught our dd "vulva" (which is the only name that is inclusive of the vagina, labia majora and minora, and clitoris/urethra). When she asks about the different parts, we'll tell her the names for them then.

We also use "bottom" - she hasn't discovered the hole itself yet or asked about it anyway. When she does, we'll teach her anus.

We have also told her that her vulva area are her "girl parts" - because she saw a naked boy and noticed his penis, which we told her was his penis and his "boy parts."

Good lord, the time your daughter is old enough to care about the different parts of her "vulva", she will not want to talk to you about them. I dont care what anyone on here says, I am sticking to "vagina".